The Microsoft Platform Ahead Paperback - 2004

Gain an expert, high-level understanding of Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0--including prerelease insights on the next version of Microsoft Visual Studio. What problems can .NET solve? What architectural approaches does it take to solve them? How do the major technologies--including Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0, Web Services Enhancements (WSE), and the .NET Compact Framework--fit the bigger picture? Author David Platt tackles these questions and more in his customary style--concise, witty, and ultimately pragmatic. He presents topics and examples from the top down, illuminating simpler concepts first then progressing to greater technical detail--meeting the needs of managers, architects, and code-hungry programmers all in a single, eminently readable guide.

Get the insights and examples you need to work with:

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0Parameterize classes with the new "generics" mechanism Recover unmanaged resources with enhanced garbage collector methodsUse ClickOnce deployment for easy software installation and updates

Web Services Enhancements/WSE 2.0 Facilitate user authentication and packet signing--without writing codeControl WSE administratively

ASP.NET 2.0Use new Web Forms controls for a consistent, personalized user experienceTake advantage of built-in authentication and authorization capabilitiesRun and debug projects on the desktop--without Internet Information Services (IIS)

.NET Compact FrameworkExploit streamlined classes for fast, lightweight development and fewer bugsWrite resource-efficient code for the Pocket PC and other smart devicesDeliver maps and directions from a Smartphone

Visual Studio 2005Download code samples in Microsoft Visual Basic and C#

Includes two bonus chapters.

See additional technology previews in the Appendix, covering: The next generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system, code name "Longhorn," featuring the new WinFS storage systemThe next version of Microsoft SQL Server, code name "Yukon"